nameless

adjective

name·​less ˈnām-ləs How to pronounce nameless (audio)
1
2
: not known by name : anonymous
3
: having no legal right to a name (as due to being born to parents not married to each other)
4
: not having been given a name : unnamed
5
: not marked with a name
a nameless grave
6
a
: incapable of precise description : indefinable
b
: too repulsive or distressing to describe
namelessly adverb
namelessness noun

Examples of nameless in a Sentence

She left the hotel with a nameless man in a black jacket. The source for my story prefers to remain nameless. A top government official, who shall remain nameless, has expressed concern about the decision. The men were buried there in nameless graves.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The monologue, first staged in 1930, consists of one side of a phone call between a nameless heroine and her ex. Alex Barasch, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 Compared to past conflicts, writing the killers as a nameless, faceless goon squad and then letting those nameless, faceless goons get away with it isn’t very affecting (or effective). Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2024 The character is nameless in Tolkien's text, but producer Philippa Boyens (who co-wrote Peter Jackson's classic live-action Lord of the Rings movies) and screenwriter Phoebe Gittins wanted to tell her story. Christian Holub, EW.com, 21 Nov. 2024 The key is to avoid letting your money sit idle and turn into a nameless slush fund. Shane Enete, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nameless 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nameless was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near nameless

Cite this Entry

“Nameless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nameless. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

nameless

adjective
name·​less ˈnām-ləs How to pronounce nameless (audio)
1
: having no name
2
: not marked with a name
a nameless grave
3
: unknown entry 1, anonymous
a nameless hero
4
a
: impossible to describe
nameless fears
b
: too disgusting or disturbing to be described
nameless acts of cruelty

More from Merriam-Webster on nameless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!